wilkes



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

I P. WILKES.

BLUNGER FOB. MIXING CLAY FOR POTTERS USE.

Patented Apr. 15, 1884.

mix?

N. PETERS: FhoIo-Lilhognpher: wnihlnglzm. u. a

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet'2 P. WILKES.

BLUNGER FOR MIXING CLAY FOR POTTERS USE. No. 297,047.

Patented Apr. 15, 1884.

fiven or Pe Z'er TK-ZZZ: e,s,

Wheflges (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. WILKES.

BLUNGER FOR MIXING CLAY FOR POTTERS USE.

No. 297.047. Patented Apr. 15, 1884.

6% JeZer Wk 6/ msxmw W N. PETERS. Phnloumo n hn. wmin tnn. 11Cv NITESTATES tries,

ATENT PETER WILKES, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,047, dated April15, 1884. Application flied March 17,1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER WILKEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trenton,

New Jersey, have invented new and useful forming, as it were, a cage.

Improvements in Blungers for Mixing Clay for Potters Use, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to certain novel features of construction inblungersfor potters use.

The object of my invention is to provide a blunger which will readilyand successfully mix the clay; and with this object in view my inventionconsists in the particular features of construction and operationhereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.

In order that those skilled in the art may know how to make and use thesame, I will proceed to describe the construction and-operation of myimproved blunger, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a side view of a blunger embodying my invention; Fig.2, an end view, and Fig. 3 a top View, of the same.

Similar letters indicate like. parts in the several figures.

Arepresentsa frame, upon which is mounted on suitable bearings, B, ahorizontal drivingshaft, 0, provided with the ordinary pulleys, D D,atone end, and with a bevel-gear, E, at the opposite end, meshing withthe two bevelpinions F F, the former, F, keyed to the upper end of avertical shaft, G, resting in a stepbearing, H, in the bottom of a tank,I. The other pinion, F, is secured by a sleeve, J, cast with saidpinion, to a four-arm casting, K, adapted to revolve around the verticalshaft G, which is supported vertically by the step bearing H at thebottom and a suitable hearing, L, at the upper end. The sleeved isenlarged above the frame A, and is formed with V-bearings, (shown indotted lines at Fig. 1,) resting in a corresponding groove in a plate,M, to insure a steady motion. To the arms K on the casting are securedfour iron bars, N, Mixing-arms O, bored out at the center, so as to slipover the shaft G and move easily around the same, are secured at theirends to the cage-arms N opposite to each other, by bolts, or in anyother suitable manner, and P are intermediate bars somewhat shorter,cored out centrally, slipped over the shaft G, and secured thereto bybolts or keys, so as to revolve with said shaft.

From the construction shown and described, it will be seen that by thearrangementof gears and pinions the power applied to shaft 0 causes thepinions F F to be rotated in opposite directions, and accordingly thecage N and its cross-arms O are revolved in the direction given topinion F, while the shaft G, with its cross arms or blades P, revolveswith pinion Fin an opposite direction, so that the clay and watercontained in the tank I are agitated by the horizontally-rotating blades0 P,wl1ile the cagearms N, having a general vertical direction, whip thecontents of the tank ina direction at right angles to the arms 0 P,producing a very thorough and effective agitation or mixing of the clayand water.

The several parts of the machine are readily put together or takenapart, as clearly shown in the drawings, and I have found fromexperience that the results accomplished by the machine are highlysatisfactory. here remarked that it is very important that the positionof the' bearings H and L should be such as to bring the shaft G, andconsequently the cage formed by the arms K and bars N and the arms 0,exactly in the center of the vessel, so that the strain caused byforcing the arms through the more or-lcss tenacious clay is equalized byhaving a uniform pressure on all sides. I have found that any departurefrom this central position of the mixers will throw an unequal strain onone part and soon destroy the machine.

What I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with a suitable frame, A, and clay-tank I, the verticalshaft G, provided with cross-arms P, cage N, provided with cross-arms O,the shaft G passing centrally through both sets of arms, and adapted tobe rotated in a direction opposite to that of the It may be cage N, bymeans substantially as described,

for rotating the cage and shaft, as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing IOO

